Chiang Mai in One Day
“My name is Pon Chai. You can call me Porn.”
There was a short pause after that statement before everyone burst out with sudden laughter.
“Bargaining is an art to practise in Chiang Maiii”, our tour guide continued. “At the mah-ket, if you want to buy an item that is hundled baht, you need get it for porty-fai.”
“Rainy season is the best season to pisit! Everything is very gleen in Chiang Mai. It doesn’t really rain all the taim; only short showers in the afternoon.”
We also learned that Chiang Mai, the second biggest city in Thailand, is more of a university city filled with young crowd, making it perfect for nightlife seekers.
Here is how to spend one day in Chiang Mai, the way Tourism Authority of Thailand and ThaiAirways would:
1. Spend a tasty, cultural afternoon at Chiang Mai Celadon by Tassanee @ Doi Saket.
We arrived at the first and oldest house handcrafting celadon (pronounced si-la-don in Thai), where we also learned how to make Khao Tom Mud, literally translated as steamed rice wrap, a traditional dessert made with banana. If you get here, I hope you try to make one or two too because learning how to cook or bake a local delicacy, is the best souvenir you can have at the end of the day.
{Sticky rice cooked with fresh coconut milk, Thai sesame seeds, banana and red beans}
Meanwhile at the factory and showroom . . .
{This is no IKEA factory but it plays an important role in maintaining and inheriting Lan Na handicraft and wisdom unto the next generation}
{I would have definitely purchased these 2 items if my mum hadn’t already have a similar tea cup set (on the left) from Blue Elephant and if the earrings (on the right) weren’t so heavy}
{Similar to jade bangles, made special in a celadon way}
This porcelain haven based in Northern Thailand produced premium quality celadon ceramics with special wood ash glaze. Every piece is unique as they are handmade by the finest artistry of potters, carvers and painters.
P.S. Make sure you don’t miss out their Khao Soi (curry hand cut noodles) served at the venue itself for lunch.
Workshop Package
Itinerary:
– Coffee break + Kao Tom Mud (Banana Sitcky Rice cooking lesson). – Chiang Mai Celadon factory and cultural gallery tour. – Choose 2 activities from: Sculpting / Painting / Carving (approx. 2 hours). – Local lunch. – Showroom visit.* * *
Price: 2000 baht per adult, 1500 baht per kid Opening hours: Mon – Sat, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Sites: chiangmaiceladon.com, Facebook page here. Email: info@chiangmaiceladon.com Contact: +66 53 484693, +66 53 484695
P.S. Advance reservation is highly recommended.
2. Immerse yourself into a golden evening at Wat Phra That Doi Suthep (with a view).
Located at the Lan Na ‘Kingdom of Rice Fields’ where 17 kings reigned, this temple, which exists since the 13th century stores a piece of Buddha relic, while the bigger piece is kept in a golden pagoda in the city. This is how Suthep got its nickname ‘Temple of Hermit Relic’.
It is also said that one of the kings rode a white elephant up to Doi Suthep mountain with the smaller relic, where the poor elephant dropped dead. Hence, this temple was built at the very location as the accident was viewed as an omen.
These are different Buddhas poses in a row, each one or two representing a day of a week. I was born on a Friday, so this is my pose:
{“I come with peace because I am peace” #sotrue}
{And I actually won the lawsuit}
{When you have a temple on top of a mountain, you get a fabulous view}
{Red Riding Hood smock dress full outfit details here}
3. Check in to dusitD2 hotel for a fun cocktail night and relaxing stay.
As we were on a sponsored trip by ThaiAirways, our schedule ran a bit different. When traveling by yourself, as usual, check-in time is usually between 12 – 2 p.m. That said, at dusitD2 there will be a ‘special show’ every 2 p.m. to welcome guests, so make sure you don’t miss it while enjoying a glass of refreshing lemon grass tea!
{Spacious, comfortable room all for myself <3}
{Chiang Mai bookmark souvenir from the very hospitable hotel}
{Cocktail workshop at the lobby, where I learned how to make Pisco Sour from Mr. Pramote, Winner of Thailand’s Bartender Championship 2013 and Second Runner Up for ASEAN Bartender Championship 2014 perform flair}
{That said, you need not look very far if you’d like a glass of amazing cocktail}
4. Gobble down the famous ‘cowboy pork trotter’ (Khao Kha Moo) for dinner.
If you stay at the recommended hotel, this must-eat stall is just a short walking distance. While I can’t say it is the best trotter I ever had, it was a tasty, satisfying meal nonetheless. The lady wearing a cowboy hat in Chiang Mai is not easy to miss! I mean, you would expect her to serve ranch food at an American diner, right?
Tender meat brined deep with secret soy-based sauce, tamago boiled to perfection drenched with tangy chili sauce to zing your mind, and not to forget the preserved vegetables, which you can top up endlessly from any and every table.
Khao Kha Moo Chang Phueak
Address: Thanon Manee Nop Parat, Amphoe Mueang, Chiang Mai, Thailand
Opening hours: 5 p.m. – 2 a.m. daily
5. Get a cheap massage before retiring to bed.
No matter what you do, do NOT go to Healthlanna Spa. Why I say this is because many cab drivers, hoteliers (including the ones in dusitD2); will recommend it to you – when it is really, a con parlor. They probably wouldn’t know that either, as it is clearly a tourist trap.
It happened to FOUR of us, the worst is when one of the masseuses disappeared for 25 mins to ‘wash her hands’. It is a shame because the owner obviously spent a fortune building such a beautiful, grand place, yet what the lazy masseuses did behind the doors is simply dishonest and incompetent.
If you want to search for a good massage place in Chiang Mai, I say you’d be better off doing the smart thing by trying a random one along the night markets. At least it is 5 to 10 times cheaper. Be a smart traveler!
